About seventy percent of the candidates who sat for 2023 Ordinary Level Zimbabwe Schools Examination Council (ZIMSEC) examinations failed leading to a national pass rate of only 29 percent.

This was revealed by ZIMSEC board chairperson, Professor Eddie Mwenje at a media briefing in Harare this Monday.

He also disclosed that the Ordinary Level results overall pass rate has improved by more than 4% compared to the 2022 results.

Professor Mwenje said a total of 270 129 candidates sat the November 2023 examinations compared to 278 760 candidates, who sat the same examinations in 2022.

He added that the candidature decreased by 8 631 or 3,1 percent.

“In 2023, a total of 185 021 pupils wrote five or more subjects and 54 420 passed five or more subjects with a Grade C or better giving an overall percentage pass rate of 29,41.

“The November 2023 results show that the percentage pass rate for female candidates was at 30,1 while that of males was at 29,06,” he said.

Apparently, the Government issued a warning that schools withholding results from candidates with school fees arrears will face punitive action.

The results are available online and they are accessible to all candidates and authorised personnel online through the ZIMSEC portal accessed through their website: www.zimsec.co.zw.

Candidates are advised to click on their respective region where they will be redirected to the portal on which they can access their results for the next five days.

Heads of examination centres can collect the results for their respective schools or centres from ZIMSEC’s regional offices beginning yesterday.

Zwnews